Mechanism and method of feeding a plurality of paper sheets



Feb. 14, 1933. F. E. PFEIFFER ET AL MECHANISM AND METHOD OF FEEDING APLURALITY OF PAPER SHEETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 16 1931 Feb. 14,1933. F. E. PFEIFFER ET AL 1,897,654

MECHANISM AND METHOD OF FEEDING A PLURALITY OF PAPER SHEETS Filed March16 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE N TORS .R. E H F F m an 0 WP .c I M MM muw Feb. 14, 1933. F. E. PFEIFFER ET AL MECHANISM AND METHOD OF FEEDING APLURALITY OF PAPER SHEETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 16, 1931 Feb. 14,1933.

F. E. PFEIFFER ET AL 1,897,654

MECHANISM AND METHOD OF FEEDING A PLURALITY OF PAPER SHEETS Filed March16, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 nwmrms FRANK 5. PFE/FFE/Z 5y W/LL/AM c.PFE/FFER Patented Feb. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK E.PFEIFFER AND WILLIAM C. PFEIFFER, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIG-NORS TO THEEGRY REGISTER COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO MECHANISMAND METHOD OF FEEDING A PLURALITY OF PAPER SHEETS Application filedMarch 16, 1931.

This invention relates to improvements in .apparatus for and a method offeeding a plurality of superimposed sheets of paper.

It has for its object to provide mechanical means for feeding andaligning the sheets of paper, together with clutch means for throwingout of gear the mechanical operating means so that the sheets may beindividually adjusted by hand or may be operated as a whole by hand.

It is also an object of this invention to provide, in connection withsome suitable power means, a driving shaft having thereon a. fixeddriving element, a driven shaft having a paper feeding means connectingit with the fixed sprocket on the driving shaft, and another paperfeeding means positively operated from the driven shaft and supported bya loose rotating means on the driving shaft. The object of thisarrangement is to prevent the buckling of the feeding belts or chains.

It is also an object of this invention to pro- Vide a method by which aplurality of superimposed sheets of paper may be fed, and by Y which thesheets may be individually and separately operated and aligned forproperly bringing them in alignment with the mass of sheets.

These and other advantages will appear from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevatior.of the apparatus in connection with atypewriter.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, with thesheets of paper partly torn away to show the underlying structure.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the housing showingpart of the paper feeding mechanism, and a stack from which the stripsof paper are fed.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 10.

Figure 5 is a detail View of the operating shaft.

Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the clutch mechanism for releasingthe power from the driving shaft.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of one of the Serial No. 522,902.

feeding chains together with the power operating means for causing thechain to travel.

Figure 8 is atop plan view of the table over which the sheets of paperare fed, together with the operating means for feeding the sheets ofpaper.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 99 of Figure 2.

Figure 10 is a vertical section through the housing for inclosing theoperating mechanism, showing a roll of paper from which the strips ofpaper are taken, and the mechanism for operating or moving the strips ofpaper.

In Figure 1 there is shown the assembled apparatus in operative positionwith relation to a typewriter supported on a standard 1. The platen uponwhich the paper travels and which supports the typewriter is indicatedby the numeral 2, and has on each side a railing 3 held in spacedrelation to each other by means of a cross rod 6.

Located at one end of the platen is a clamp bar 4 for holding the freeends of the sheets of paper against the platen, and remote from theclamp member 4 are clips 5 adapted to fit over the edges of the stripsof paper to hold them down in proper position.

The frame formed from the side rails 8 and the cross rods 6 is supportedon top of the standard 1 and on top of the housing for the operatingmechanism of the paper feeding means. This housing, which supports oneend of the frame, is indicated by the nu meral 7. Within the housing isan inclined, rectangular frame 8 which supports thereon a roll of paper9.

In order to prevent the too free rotation of the roll as the paper isfed, a brake member 10 is provided. This brake member is pivoted at oneend to the side walls of the housing, while its other end rests upon theroll of paper. Instead of the paper being fed from a roll, as shown inFigure 10, it may be fed from a stack of paper, as shown in Figure 3.

There is a plurality of superimposed sheets of paper folded one upon theother and piled in the stack 11, or rolled one upon another on the roll9. These sheets of paper are indiing, with a hand wheel 34.

paper 18 passes under and up one side of a' lower guide roller 21. Theother sheets 12 to 17, inclusive, also pass over this lower guide rollerand together the sheets of paper pass over an upper guide roller 22. Allof these rollers are supported in the side walls of the housing in anysuitable and convenient manner.

Located on the upper edges of the side walls of the housing is aplurality of rollers numbered 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29. Theserollers are in horizontal. alignment and re-- ceive thereunder thedifferent sheets of paper after they pass over the upper guide roller22. Sheet 18 passes under roller 23; sheet 17 passes under roller 24;sheet 16 passes under roller 25; sheet 15 passes under roller 26; sheet14 passes under roller 27 sheet 13 passes under roller 28 and sheet 12passes under roller 29.

All of these sheets or strips of paper have holes therein and theseholes are aligned one with another after all of the strips of paper havepassed under their respective rollers from 23 to 29. After the sheetshave passed under these rollers they are assembled with the aligningholes therein in alignment with each other, to be engaged by a pin in atraveling belt or a sprocket chain. For feeding the sprocket chain thereis provided, substantially beneath the roller 23, a shaft 30 supportedin the side walls of the housing. On this shaft 30 is a sprocket wheel31, loosely supported for free rotation thereon. This sprocket wheel issupported against longitudinal movement on the shaft by means ofshoulders 32 pinned, or otherwise fastened to the shaft. There is alsoon this shaft. spaced from the loose sprocket wheel, a fixed sprocketwheel 33.

For hand operation the shaft 30 is provided on one end thereof, withoutthe hous- On the other end of the shaft 30, within the housing, is apinion 35 for mechanically operating the driving shaft 30. Cooperatingwith the driving shaft 30 is a driven shaft 36, which has thereon rollersections 37 to engage and support the advanced ends of the strips ofpaper as they move from the feeding chain or belt. These rollers rotatewith the shaft 36.

On this shaft 36 are two fixed sprocket wheels 38, one between each oftwo of the roller sections 37, as clearly shown in Figure 8. Extendingfrom each of the fixed sprocket wheels 38 to the sprocket wheels on theshaft 30 is a sprocket'chain 39. One of these chains fits over the fixedsprocket 33, while the other engages the loose sprocket 31. Each chainhas a plurality of pins 40 for engaging in the aligning holes in thestrips of paper for aligning and feeding the strips.

B means of the connection between the sha t 30 and the shaft 36, throughthe sprocket chains 39, the two sprocket chains act upon the sheets ofpaper in different ways. The upper run of the top sprocket chain, asshown in Figure 8, is somewhat slack and tends to push the sheets ofpaper rather than to pull them, and on account of the slackness thisrunof the sprocket chain will give the sheets or strips of paper slightlyintermittent or yielding impulses. The upper run of the lower chaingives the strips of paper a constant pull because the tendency of thispart of the chain is to remain tense so that there is a constant pull onthe strips of paper without any yielding or intermittent action.

Immediately beneath the upper runs of the sprocket chains is asupporting plate 41, supported by cross bars 42. On the upper surface ofthis plate are channels 43, in which the sprocket chains travel as theyfeed and deliver the sheets of paper. The plate is supported in the sidewalls of the housing by means of screws 44 which extend through thewalls into the ends of the cross bars 42. While sprocket wheels andsprocket chains have been shown and described, belts and suitablepulleys may be used instead of chains and sprocket wheels.

The driving shaft is operated by a motor 45, suitably and convenientlylocated within the housing. From this motor extends the usual motorshaft, which has thereon a gear 46 which meshes with a gear 47 on ashaft extending into a gear box 48. By a system of gearing within thegear box the shaft on which gear 47 is located operates a shaft 52 onwhich a gear 49 is located. This gear 49 meshes with a gear 50 supportedon a bracket 51. This gear 50 meshes with the pinion 35 on the drivingshaft 30 so that Whenever the motor operates the shaft 30 will rotate,when the proper clutch connections are made.

The gear 49 is loosely mounted on the shaft 52 but in order that thisgear may rotate with shaft 52 a clutch mechanism is provided on theouter end of the shaft 52. Somewhat removed from the outer end of theshaft 52 is a pin 53 which extends through a slot 55 in a clutch sleeve56. On the extreme outer end of this shaft 52 is a head 54. The openingin the clutch sleeve for receiving the shaft 52 is enlarged at its outerend, as indicated by the numeral 57, and provides a shoulder 58 againstwhich one end of a spring 59 rests. The other end of this spring restsagainst the head 54 on the outer end of the shaft 52. This spring tendsto hold the clutch sleeve normally against the gear 49.

On the end of the clutch sleeve, adjacent the gear 49, is a pin 60adapted to fit within and the other to the motor.

a hole 61 in the gear 49. Normally due to the action of the spring 59this pin fits within the hole so that whenever the shaft 52 rotates thegear 49 rotates with it, thereby operating through a chain of gears theshaft 30. The pin 60 may be withdrawn from the gear 49 by simplygripping with the fingers the sleeve 56, and in order to hold the pinwithdrawn the sleeve may be rotated so that the pin 53 will fit in anotch formed in the slot 55. The pin 53 may be forced into a transverseextension of this slot 55 by retating the sleeve after the pin 60 hasbeen withdrawn from the gear. For supporting one of the cross rods 6above the housing there is provided a bracket 62 on each side of thehousing, with a notch therein, as clearly shown in Figure 1.

For the purpose of providing electric current to the motor there isprovided a conductor 63. At the point 64 this conductor branches, onebranch going to the housing The current coming in through the conductor63 passes through the gear box, and through the motor, back through theconductor 63. In other words, the motor and the switch mechanismconfined within the gear box are in the same circuit so that during thecourse of operation the mechanism within the gear box automaticallybreaks the circuit, so that the operation of the feeding mechanism willstop. For the purpose of forming a contact with the parts within thegear box there is provided a push rod 65.

The aligning holes in the sheets of paper are indicated by the numeral66. The typewriter located above the platen on the standard 1 isindicated by the numeral 67.

When the pin 60 is within the hole 61 the operation of the motor willcause the rotation of the shaft 30. The rotation of the shaft 30positively drives the sprocket chain remote from the motor. Through thissprocket chain the shaft 36 is rotated, and with it the roller sections37. There also rotates with this shaft the sprockets thereon, whichcause the other sprocket chain adjacent the motor to travel, and with itthe sprocket wheel loosely mounted on the shaft 30.

By this means we have a driving shaft with a driving sprocket wheelthereon, and a driven sprocket Wheel loosely mounted thereon. Thedriving sprocket wheel rotates the driven shaft, which through asprocket chain rotates the loosely mounted sprocket wheel on the drivingshaft. By. this means a feeding of the paper is effected without abuckling of the paper.

Whenever it is desired to separately align the sheets of paper theclutch mechanism is withdrawn so that the shaft 30 can rotate free ofthe operating mechanism. This shaft is rotated at this time by means ofthe hand wheel 34 on one end of the shaft. Any necessary shifting orjogging back and forth of these chains may be effected through theoperation of this shaft by means of the hand wheel 34.

The superimposed strips of paper are held together on the .travelingmembers by means of a pressure plate 69. This pressure plate has on itsunder side two pairs of guide members 68, each pair providing a slot inwhich the upper ends of the pins 40 travel and are guided.

It is also possible by this structure to stop the operation of the paperfeeding means at any stage of its action without interfering with themotor. All that is necessary is to withdraw the clutch mechanism so thatthe shaft 52 can rotate independent of the gear 49.

A further object of our detachment mechanism for detaching the feed fromthe power is to move the sheets backwardly for the insertion of newtypes of sheets and thereby save the sheets that are already in themachine.

We desire to comprehend within our invention such modifications as maybe embraced Within our claims and the scope of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1.. In a paper-feeding machine for feeding a plurality of superimposedstrips of paper, means for feeding said strips, means for maintainingsaid strips in a looped condition as they are being fed, said meansconsisting of a pair of co-acting rollers engaging one of said strips,power means for operating said strip-feeding means, and a hand-operatedmeans for disconnecting the power means from the strip-feeding means.

2. In a machine for feeding superimposed strips of paper, means forfeeding said strips of paper, means for maintaining said strlps of paperin a looped condition, said means consisting of a pair of co-actingrollers engaging one of said strips, and mechanical" means for operatingsaid strip-feeding means, said strip-feeding means including a pair ofshafts and a pair of travelling means operatively connected to saidshafts, both of said traveling means-having a positive connection withone of said shafts, and only one of said traveling means having apositive connection with the other shaft.

3. In a paper-feeding mechanism for feeding a plurality of superimposedstrips of paper, means for maintaining said strips of paper in a loopedcondition, and means for feeding said strips of paper, said meansconsisting of a shaft, power means operatively connected to said shaft,a second shaft, a travelling member operatively connected to saidshafts, and a second travelling member operated by the second-namedshaft and loosely mounted on the first-named shaft.

4. In an apparatus for feeding a plurality of superimposed strips ofpaper in combination with a housing, a shaft supported by said housing,means for operating said shaft, a second shaft mounted on said housing,travelling means connecting said shafts whereby the second-named shaftis positively operated by the first-named shaft, and a second travellingmeans connecting said shafts and positively operated by the second-namedshaft.

In an apparatus for feeding a plurality of superimposed strips of paperin combination with a housing, a shaft supported by said housing,mechanical means for operating said shaft, a second shaft, a travellingmember connecting the first-named shaft to the secondnamed shaft wherebythe secondnamed shaftis rotated, a second travelling member operativelyconnected to the secondnamed shaft and loosely connected to thefirstnamed shaft, and paper-feeding and aligning means on saidtravelling members.

6. In an apparatus for feeding a plurality of superimposed strips ofpaper in combination with a housing, a plurality ofhorizontally-arranged traveling members on said housing for feeding andaligning sai d strips of paper, means for operating said travellingmembers, said means operating on one end of one of said travellingmembers and on the opposite end of the other of said travelling membersthrough the first-named travelling member, and means for separating anddirecting the strips of paper to said feeding and aligning means.

7. In an apparatus for feeding and aligning a plurality of superimposedstrips of paper in combination with a housing, a roller in said housingfor supporting said strips of paper, means in said housing to cause saidstrips of paper to hang in a looped condition, means to feed and alignsaid strips of paper, said means comprising a driving shaft and a drivenshaft, a travelling member operatively connected to both of said shafts,a second travelling member operatively connected to the driven shaft andloosely connected to the driving shaft, and means for guiding the stripsof paper to the feeding and aligning means in spaced relation to eachother.

8. In an apparatus for feeding a plurality of superimposed strips ofpaper in combination with a housing, a source of paper supply supportedin said'housing, means for aligning and feeding said strips of paperconsisting of a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a travelling memberpositively connected to both of said shafts, a second travelling memberoperativelyconnected to the driven shaft and loosely connected to thedriving shaft, and a plurality of spaced rollers for guiding the stripsof paper in spaced condition to the aligning and feeding means.

9. In an apparatus for feeding a plurality of superimposed strips ofpaper, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a conveyer member operativelyconnected to both of said shafts, a second conveyer member operativelyconnected to the driven shaft and loosely connected to the operatingshaft, and means on the conveyer members for engaging the strips ofpaper.

10; In an apparatus for feeding a plurality of superimposed strips ofpaper having aligning holes therein, in combination with a housing, adriving shaft supported by said housing, a driven shaft supported bysaid housing, a conveyer member operatively connected to both of saidshafts whereby the driven shaft is operated by the driving shaft, asecond conveyer member operatively connected to the driven shaft andloosely connected to the driving shaft, and a plurality of pin membersprojecting from said con veyer members to engage the strips of paper inthe holes to feed them and align them.

11. In an apparatus for feeding strips of paper, strip-feeding meansincluding a shaft, a second shaft having a gear loosely mounted thereonoperatively connected to the stripfeeding means, means to operate thesecondnamed shaft, and means to cause said gear to rotate with saidsecond-named shaft.

12. In an apparatus for feeding strips of paper, strip-feeding meansincluding a shaft, a second shaft having a gear loosely mounted thereonoperatively connected to a part of the strip-feeding means, means tooperate the second-named shaft, and means comprising another part of thestrip-feeding means to operate the first shaft from the second shaft.

13. In an apparatus for feeding strips of paper, strip-feeding meansincluding a shaft, a second shaft, a gear loosely mounted on saidsecond-named shaft and operatively connected to said first-named shaft,an operative connection between the two shafts forming part of thefeeding means, and mechanical means for rotating said second-namedshaft.

14. In an apparatus for feeding strips of paper, a gear casing, a pairof operativelyconnected shafts extending from said casing, an electricmotor operatively connected to one of said shafts, strip-feeding meansconnected to the other shaft, and manual means for breaking theconnection between the other shaft and the strip-feeding means.

15. In a paper-feeding machine for feeding a plurality of superimposedstrips of paper, means engaging one side of the strips for feeding saidstrips, means operated by the last-named means engaging the other sideof the strips for feeding the strips, power means for operating saidstrip-feeding means, and manually-operated means for disconnecting thepower means from the strip-feeding means.

16. In a paper-feeding machine for feeding a plurality of superimposedstrips of paper in combination with a housing constituting a receptaclefor said strips of paper, means for feeding said strips of paper, meansfor separating the strips of paper so that they enter the strip-feedingmeans at spaced intervals from one another, an electric motor foroperating said strip-feeding means, and manually-operated means fordisconnecting the motor from the strip-feeding means at any period ofits operation.

17. In a paper-feeding machine for feeding a plurality of superimposedstrips of paper having aligning holes therein, means to fit in saidholes to feed the strips of paper, means to separate the strips of paperso that they enter the feeding means at spaced intervals, an electricmotor operatively connected to said strip-feeding means for feeding saidstrips for a definite cycle of movement, and

means manually operated for disconnecting the motor and thestrip-feeding means.

18. In a paper-feeding machine for feeding a plurality of superimposedstrips of paper with aligning holes therein, a plurality of travellingmembers having pins thereon to engage said strips in said holes, forfeeding and aligning the strips, means for operating.

one of said travelling members, and means operated by said travellingmember to operate another travelling member.

19. In a method of feeding a plurality of superimposed strips of paperforming a source of supply, which consists in causing the strips ofpaper to travel by engaging one of the edges of said strips andmaintaining a constant, moving force thereon, and engaging the otheredge of said strips, and applying thereto a moving force that isslightly intermittent.

20. In a method of feeding a plurality of superimposed strips of paperforming a source of supply, which consists in causing the strips ofpaper to travel by engaging one of the edges of said strips andmaintaining a constant, moving force thereon and engaging the other edgeof said strips. and applying thereto a moving force that is slightlyyielding to the constant, moving force.

21. In an apparatus for feeding and aligning a plurality of superimposedstrips of paper, a shaft, means for operating the shaft, aligning andfeeding means operated by the shaft, a second shaft operated by thealigning and feeding means, and a second aligning and feeding meansoperated by the second shaft, one of said feeding means being soarranged as to push the sheets of paper and the other of said feedingmeans being arranged to pull the paper.

22. In a paper-feeding apparatus, a. pair of feed means to feed aplurality of superimposed strips of paper having holes therein, saidmeans comprising traveling pins to engage the strips in said holes, andmeans to hold the strips down and guide the pins, one of said feed meansbeing so arranged as to push the sheets of paper and the otherof saidmeans being arranged to pull the paper.

23. In a paper-feeding apparatus, means to feed a plurality ofsuperimposed strips of paper having holes therein, said means comprisingtraveling pins to engage the strips in said holes, means to hold thestrips down, and means on said last-named means to guide the pins, oneof said feeding means being so arranged as to push the sheets of paperand the other of said feeding'means being arranged to pull the paper.

24. In a paper-feeding apparatus, a traveling means to feed a pluralityof superimposed strips of paper, a second travel i means for feedingsaidstrips operated by the first traveling means, means to press the sheetsagainst the traveling means, and pins on said traveling means adapted toenter said sheets one by one, one of said feeding means being soarranged as to push the sheets of paper and the other of said feedingmeans being arranged to pull the paper.

25. In a paper-feeding apparatus, a pair of spaced chains having pinsengaging apertures in a plurality of superimposed sheets carried on saidpins and chains, means to drive one of said chains to push it, and meansto drive the other of said chains to pull it 26. In a paper-feedingapparatus, a pair of spaced chains having pins engaging apertures in aplurality of superimposed sheets carried on said pins and chains, meansto drive one of said chains to push it, and means to drive the other ofsaid chains to pull it, said means being so arranged that the pushingchain cooperates in pulling the other chain.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures.

FRANK E. PFEIFFER. WILLIAM G. PFEIFFER.

